Sara Atske, a senior at Lincoln High School in Sioux Falls, is selling bracelets to raise money for school supplies for a school in Ethiopia. / Emily Spartz / Argus Leader

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Sara Atske AGE AS OF APRIL 7: 17 HIGH SCHOOL: Sioux Falls Lincoln ACHIEVEMENTS/INTERESTS: Publicist on Student Council, member of the school newspaper staff, president of the Spanish Club, member of Serve and Learn Student Association (SALSA Volunteer Club), Youth Action council, cross country, orchestra, math tutor, superintendent-student forum, National Honor Society FAMILY: Father; Atnafe Atske, Mother; Seada Warseme COLLEGE PLANS: Has been accepted into the honor’s program at the University of Minnesota. Has applied to Johns Hopkins, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Michigan and Harvard College. CAREER IDEA: Psychologist with a focus on African American Studies WORK: Aeropostale

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Sara Atske knew she was different from the time she was in elementary school.

There were two outstanding reasons: English is her second language, and she didn’t look like other kids. “I often had my hair braided and I would get teased because my hair ‘didn’t blow in the wind,’ ” Atske says.

Her folks immigrated from Ethiopia before she was born making Amharic her primary language. Though she was born in the United States and has established roots here, she retains her Ethiopian identity.

Overcoming the challenges of feeling like an outsider has affected her life. Bridging the gap between two cultures has been her guiding star.

Atske is a success story all the way around, says Val Fox, principal at Lincoln High School, where Atske is a senior.

Not only is she an outstanding student, but her humanity makes her a standout. “Sara is a sensitive, empathetic student.” She goes out of her way to make others feel welcome and important just as she strives to understand their backgrounds.

That empathy was honed from early on.

The expectations she shouldered at a young age developed self-reliance and fostered independence.

Living in a cultural bubble helped sharpen her social skills.

Growing up in Sioux Falls and attending Robert Frost Elementary was a typical experience on the surface, but looking deeper you would have seen an only child living with her parents and two sets of aunts and uncles who mostly didn’t speak English and retained deep ties to the country they left.

As a kid, Atske was the family’s designated front person. She was the public intermediary for family members who needed help filling out official forms and interacting with the community. “I have always been the communicator when we go out in public,” she says.

“I had to memorize everyone’s addresses, phone numbers and Social Security numbers. I was the one who ordered pizza,” Atske says.

Her self-reliance, social maturity and basic intelligence allowed her to skip part of kindergarten and be bumped to first grade after the first semester. Twelve years later, she is graduating at 17.

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Being responsible at a young age made her mature faster. Yet the experience was not without pitfalls. “The language was the hardest thing,” Atske says. “Amharic was the first language I learned. I picked up on English easily, but some words slipped under the radar and I got made fun of.”

It wasn’t easy to make sense of American cultural cues when she was out in public, either. Though she’s overcome the foibles, the difficulties aren’t completely gone.

Linking two divergent cultures has been demanding, Atske says.

But it is essential.

Learning about other cultures and traditions is the answer to coexistence, she says. “I feel that everyone should be educated about other cultures in order to live more peacefully. If I can do my part to teach others about my heritage, I will. I also love when others share their cultures with me.”

Her family are respectful of American customs but will always honor their heritage.

“At home, we listen to Ethiopian music and eat Ethiopian food and watch Ethiopian satellite channels on TV.” That said, living in one culture while practicing another can be isolating. “When I leave home I have to turn certain parts off and be more aware of things going on around me,” Atske says.

She volunteers as an English language and math tutor to reconcile her two cultures yet make a difference. “It’s pretty important to me.” It’s easy to imagine being in the same boat, she says.

Making a difference is crucial. “I want to be a source of inspiration.”

Fox thinks she is. Atske is a guiding light and a positive example to others, she says.

Her personality and selfless support of others has moved all those who have come in contact with her. “She’s a leader” and a role model for others. “She has a good sense of who she she is and where she wants to be,” Fox says.

On top of that, she has a strong work ethic and participates in a wide variety of activities. She is president of the Spanish club, on the newspaper staff, plays the violin and runs cross country. More than that, “she’s upbeat and positive and is friends with all different groups of kids,” Fox says.

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Atske is anxious not to call attention to herself but because of her abilities, naturally does, Fox says. She is an empathetic friend who is able to get other students from all walks of life to open up to her.

For all that, she’s self-aware enough to know her shortcomings “she requests help when needed,” says Lincoln High school counselor, Tanielle Sylvester.

It’s clear her background has altered who she is while adjusting to dual ethnic influences. “She’s proud of her heritage, blends well and is very Americanized,” Sylvester says.

Atske recognizes the significance of her divided though linked loyalties. “I feel very connected to and proud of my Ethiopian heritage yet I also have adapted to many American customs.”

Her parents have their own story. “My father was put on the government ‘black list’ after it became known that he was a student protester in Yugoslavia, so he processed for asylum in Italy and was sent to the U.S. My mother worked for the Ethiopian ambassador in Bulgaria before seeking asylum through the same Italian organization,” Atske says.

Their lives have evolved. Atske continues to learn Ethiopian history and language from her parents while they are learning the intricacies of English from her.

Her parents have been back to Ethiopia a few times, while Atske will visit for the first time in June. Family introductions will be on tap. “I’ll meet family there for the first time. Dad has 10 brothers and sisters. I have a lot of aunts and uncles and second cousins I haven’t met.”

While fitting in has been a primary motivating force for Atske, her desire to make kids feel comfortable stems from the lack of acceptance she experienced. It’s probably why she plans to major in psychology with a focus on African American studies.

“All my life I’ve tried so hard to fit in because I didn’t feel like I fit in when I was younger. I try to be a certain person when I’m around other people. But I don’t think everyone is prepared to come home with me and eat Ethiopian food and meet my culture. They don’t really understand who I am.”

Though she’s been a member of the National Honor Society, publicist of student council and captain of the JV cross country team, it wasn’t until she was elected homecoming queen her senior year that felt like she’d made it.

“It’s funny. I’ve worried about fitting in my whole life and this is like a concrete award that says I fit in.”